Shock absorber



April 2s, 1936. J. B. RIEKER 2,0.380

SHOCK .ABSORBER I Filed July 1e, 1951 s sheets-sheet 1 lIlIlIl//llllllll/,v

JH/v B. RIEKER ATTO RN EYS J. B. RIEKER SHOCK ABSORBER April 28, 1936.

Filed July 16, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR .To/IN B. R15/SR ATTO RN EY Patented Apr. 28, 1936 PATENT CFFICE snocK ABsoRBER John B. Rieker, Akron, Ohio Application July 16, 1931, Serial No'. 551,110

8 Claims.

This invention relates to shock absorbers such as commonly are used on motor vehicles, and more especially it relates to shock absorbers of the mechanical type which utilize elastic material, such as rubber for checking the bound and rebound of the vehicle.

The chief objects of the invention are to provide a shock absorber of the character mentioned which will be more durable than those heretofore proposed; to avoid the imposition of torsional strains on the shock-resisting member; to provide a shock absorber utilizing rubber as a shock absorbing medium in which both bound and rebound will be checked by resistance of the rubber to compression; and to -provide such a structure in which the expansive force of the compressed rubber will not react to accelerate the return movement of the rubber-compressing member.

Of the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shock absorber embodying the invention in its preferred form, as it is applied to the chassis of a motor vehicle;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the respective operative elements of the device arranged in the same relative positions they occupy in the assembled structure;

Figure 5 is a development of a portion of the periphery of the operative elements of the device in normal inoperative position; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with the respective elements in operative position.

Referring to the drawings, the shock absorber comprises a housing consisting of a base member Il] and an annular cup-shaped cover II,` which members telescope with each other, a pair of ree silient rubber discs I 2, I3 ofidentical size and shape, and a metal washer I4. The member I0 is formed with an annular axial boss I5 which extends from its front face and projecting axially from said boss is a threaded stud or bolt I6. The member Il! also is formed on its front face with four upstanding radial ribs I'I,I'I of uniform height which define intervening sectorshaped recesses I8, I8 I9, I9, the recesses I8, I8 being disposed in diametrically opposed relation and being of somewhat greater depth, as measured from the tops of the ribs Il, than the recesses I9, I9, as is most clearly shown in Figure 4. The base member I0 also is formed with outwardly extending `apertured ears Illa, Illa by which it may be mounted on a suitable support.

Each of the rubber discs I2, I3 is of suitable diameter to t nicely within the cover II, and

each is formed with an axial aperture 20, 2l respectively of suitable size to slide over the boss I5 of the member I0. Both rubber discs are formed on one side with four radial slots 22, 23 respectively which 4slots are the same width 5 as the ribs Il of the base member I0, and are of the same depth as the recessed sectors I8 of the said member.

The washer I4 iscomposed of relatively think flexiblev metal, is easily deformable, and has anlO axial aperture I4a of theY same size as the apertures 20, 2I of the rubber discs.

The cover II has its bottom'wall formed with four radial ribs 24, 24 which define interveningr n sector-shaped recesses 25, 26, the recesses 25 bel5 ing of the same depth as the recesses I8 of the base member I0, and the recesses 26 being of the same depth as the shallower recesses I9 in said member. Exteriorly the cover II is formed withW an annular boss 2l, and the cover structure has-20 an axial bore 28 to receive the bolt or stud I6.

An operating lever 29 is mounted upon the boss 21 and extends radially therefrom. I`

The shock absorber is assembled with the rubber disc I2 adjacent the base member I 0 and'I 5 the ribs of the latter interfitting with Ythe slots 22 of the disc. The washer I4 -abuts the plane `face of the disc I2, and also the plane face of the rubber disc I3, the slotted face of the latter being reversed with respecty to slotted face of`30 the disc'l2.

interi-it with the respective slots 23 of the rubber disc I3, and the cover is so positioned angu- The radial ribs 24 of the cover II larly of the base member I0, that in the inoperative position of the elements of the device'r the deep sector shaped recesses 25 of the cover are in alignment with the shallow recesses I9 of the base member, and the shallow recesses 26 j of the `cover are aligned with the deep recesses I8 of the base member, which is the relative positions of the parts shown in Figure 4. The assembled parts are drawn forcibly together by lock-nuts 30, 38 on the end of the bolt vIi which exten-ds through the structure, with the result that the discs I2, I3, and the washersl4 aref! Vdistorted out of their natural plane form substantially into the shapes shown in Figure 5, and the deep recesses 25, I8 of the housing members are substantially but not quite lled.

The cup-shaped cover telescopes with the front face of the base member IIJ completely to enclose the rubber discs I2, I3 and the washer I4,

Y passesrover bumps or depressions ina roadway,

A"piane faces that 'are slidable relatively of each toward each other.

member 32 of a vehicle by means of bolts 33, 33 which pass through therespective apertured Vears |05. The operating lever 29 is horizontally disposed Yin normal inoperative position, and its free end is connected by a link 34 to a suitable bracket=35lmounted upon the axle of the vehicle. In the/operationof'the device, as the vehicle the vehicle frameY and axle move toward and away from each other,`and the housingtcover. I I is moved'v angularly Vwith relation ,to the base memberV IU, in both directions, by reasonA f'the connections consisting of thev lever 2.9, link-34. and bracket 35. The result of the angular movement of the cover Il will best beunderstoodv byreferl ence: totFigure 6 wherein the membern I I in mov.- f .ing in the direction indicated bytthe.arrow` has `vmoved:the.=ribs 24Aout of alignmentwith the 'ribsIfI and/moved theyshallow,.reeesses.26,- I9 It willv loev obvious y that two shallow yrecesses `26, 4.I9 have less -volumetrie capacity than a Vshallow and asdeep .recess,z so

that in the moving of the shallowrecesses angularly.,towardalignmentwith eachother, the inter-` vening rubber ils-subjectedto' compressive: `force which, it Iyieldingly resists rand thereby cushions the bound and rebound of-the-vehic1e- Because Y,

the rubberdiscs-are compressed ina'n: axial directionlfby'v-a member moving in` transverse' direction; there willY be no such reactionvof the'rubber as to. accelerate-the'-movementof .the-said member in theopposite direction. During relative anguular movementof thecover I I one the base/member I thefdisc: I3.` moves withtthefcover, Vrelatively of Ythe disc ,I 2;-1bec'ause 'ofttha lubricated .washer VThe device-is of simple .-construction, and the rubber: members long fwearingwthoughfeasily, re- #mi Y placeablefwvhen required. 1 The'device islsusceptiblepof modi'cationwithin 1 the scopefof. the. appended .claimsgwhich are not :.limitedswhollwto thevspecifi'c; construction:- shown Aand described.;V Y

What'isvclaimed is: Y q l. VAvshock absorber comprising'apairfofihous- Y Vfing members movable"angularlyfrelativelyv of each t other; adjustableomeans" connecting. said :members A.adapted to drawA themftowardlea'chother, arpa-ir z of f'resilient: members occupying .ffmo'st but J-not Y .aallofithe-:space'fiwithin said=housing and/engaging." the: '.adjacentlfaces of said `housing. =members Y so :pasito move iangularly with them, said re- .,silient members' being opposed to-eachI other and `:havingstheir'adjacent facesY formed with normally i-nte'rtte'd-Acomplemental depressions and ele- 2 vations .lwhereby relativeA angularI movement of risaid' housing-1 members .and resilient 'members `1result'sj-inftheV deforrnin-g of thefresilientrmembers by leveling rof the depressions 'and eleva.-

Y tionsf-thereof, and ymeansl between' saidresilient 'Y members ifacilitating sliding movement of one 'or `|tllernrrelativiely, of the other.

f @5S-,the means `between the resilient Vmembers' come' prises 'fleiiible metal disc. Y

' 2. A combination as defined in claim 1 inwhich 3."Avsho`ck absorber. comprising a stationary ,l member andY a `member `mov`able=-angularly V'there- Y offthe saidmembers being formedwith `projec- :V tions onltheiradjacent faces and alternate deep and shallow recesses between said projections, the deep recesses of one member normally being ber, 'respective Vdiscs of resilient Ymaterial between Vsaid members formed with. complementally ar- .rrangedgslots on o-ne side in 'whichsaid projections are engaged, said discs otherwise being of uni'- form thickness and having opposed normally other-:upon angular movement of the movable member, andY means for drawing the assembly.

forciblyftogether whereby the resilient members are-so deformed. as to impart a complementally irregular configuration to their opposed faces. 4f-A combination as defined in claim 3 includ- :ing affleX-ible metal washer between the opposed :.faces. ofthe Vresilient .members, .which washer vis fdeformedbythe Vdeforrning of thefresilient 4mem- ..lbers. l. y

..-5..Ar.shock absorber comprisingra stationary member and a member mo-vable-angularly thereof, said-membersfbeing formed with alternate deep and shallow recesses, .the-shallow recesses offeach efmemberrrbeing, normally aligned with the. deep recesses-:of` therother;.member,. a pair of resilient.

...memberseof .rubber formed with A elevationsv of i Y 1uniform-:heightwhich seat in saidrecesses in the respective' stationary fand` movable members, and

l positive vmeans for drawingthe assembly togetherV Yin;an;axial'-.direction whereby the resilient mem'- fbersffarealaterallyfdistorted out of ytheir normalY .planes 2 and the said stationary Y and movable 'members .f-are'establi'shed in. fined axial relation.

l6. A combination as defined lirrclairn 8 including a lubricantsbetween@the'resilient discsytojv vfacilitate relative'. movement i thereof.

7. Ashockabsorber 4comprising a housing: coni V:,sistingrcff two-angularly movablemembers that are spaced apart a determinate distance, the

with alternate deep and shallow recesses,-the zdeepfrecesses:of one ymembersbeingA aligned with the shallow recesses of the other member :int'the .;neutralapositionof thefdevioe, a structure` com-V naid-j'acent faces ofsaid :members :being Yforrnedgfl prising: a: .pair of fopposeddises. of resilient .ma-@a5 rt'erial'fbetvveen'A said'me'mbers 'filling` the" shallow recesses of each Vof them but notthe deep recesses 2 thereofandlmeans -formoving said housing mem; -bersnaxially toward each :.fothervto `effect such a deforming .'ofigthe :idiscs that "when the housing.:A 50

:members arernovedlangularly relatively of each other the"resultingzirelative.v angular movement .:of-the;discsz.will. cause the latter. to be subjected to'vincreased .aiially .directed pressure.

--'sisting' of two :relatively movable members, means for :drawing v*said members toward eachother,

two Jdises of're'silientlmaterial that have opposed, normallyplane'faces that are slidable4 one upon the other-withinlsaid'housing, said housing mem- `and meansformoving the housing rmembers `Y angularlyj'v relatively" of each Y other whereby theV Y complementally deformed portions of the resilient 'discs are 'subjectedto further deforming pressure.

JOHN B. VRIEKER.

shockabsorber'.comprising:a housing con 

